9 Aug 2010 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
The Saudi Arabian government and RIM, the Canadian manufacturer of BlackBerry have compromised over plans to ban the BlackBerry messenger service. The deal reportedly allows for a server to be built in Saudi Arabia, overcoming the concerns of the government that data was sent abroad. Fears were originally raised by the United Arab Emirates, who plan to implement their own ban in October. Experts have raised concerns that this will allow the authorities access to private messages and content and could increase state censorship. The Saudi government claims that BlackBerrys are used by terrorists and a threat to national security.
18 May 2010 | Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
Jamal Khashoggi has stepped down as editor-in-chief of al-Watan after the progressive Saudi newspaper published a controversial opinion piece criticising Salafism. Arab news sources speculate he was forced to resign, the Saudi authorities adher to Wahabbism, a form of Salafi Islam. Khashoggi was abroad when the article was published, and has since denounced the article, saying it was an error to publish it.
28 Apr 2010 | Digital Freedom, Index Index, minipost, Uncategorized
The Saudi Arabian government broke the Arabic record for the fastest time to block a new website, clocking in at just 15 hours. On 25 April, they blocked a US- based site created by Egyptian activists The Egyptian Association for Change, eacusa.org, only 15 hours after it launched. Tunisia was the previous record holder, blocking www.yezzi.org in 18 hours after it went live in 2005.
21 Aug 2009 | Index Index, minipost
Saudi Arabia has begun blocking the Twitter pages of activists in the country. Human rights lawyer Waleed Abulkhair and businessman Khaled al Nasser said their Twitter pages have been blocked since about Monday by the official government Internet censor. This is apparently the first move against known Twitter users inside the kingdom. The men involved claim this is because the government has been made aware of the sites power after its role in the Iran elections. Read more here
